Every Friday, Baptist Women in Ministry introduces an amazing minister, and today, we are pleased to introduce you to Charity Roberson.
Charity, tell us about your ministry journey. Where and how are you serving now? Where have your served in the past?
Since March 2013, I have served as the equipping coach for the Baptist General Association of Virginia. In my role, I create leadership development opportunities for ministers through small groups gatherings and events. I also have the responsibility for planning two retreats, one for high school students and one for middle school students, plus Forum, a two-day training event for youth and young adult ministry leaders. I also preach, speak, coach, and lead retreats. I previously served as pastor of Sharon Baptist Church in Smithfield, North Carolina, and as Baptist campus minister primarily for North Carolina State University and Meredith College in Raleigh.
What do you love best about your ministry now?
I love the one-on-one work I do. Right now, I am working with a group of women ministers, coaching them through results from a workplace personality assessment. I especially love helping people understand who it is that God created them to be and then supporting them as they live with intentionally.
Who was the first woman minister you ever met?
When I was a girl, Wendy Minton worked at our association, planning Girls in Action events. Then in high school, my church called a new pastor. His wife had been ordained for her previous work in chaplaincy. My church, including me, deemed her ordination acceptable, because she “had to do it” in order for the hospital to let her work as a chaplain. However, the first woman that I encountered in a day-to-day ministry was Geneva Metzger, my Baptist campus ministry at University of North Carolina in Greensboro. Through campus ministry, I also got to know Wanda Kidd and other women serving in ministry roles.
What is the best ministry advice you have ever received?
I have had such great truth tellers in my life, but I can narrow my list of great advice down to two. While I was his intern, Bob Phillips, the Baptist campus minister at University of North Carolina, taught me the importance of having balance in my life. He said, “The students need ministry things that are all their own, that you are not a part of. And you need ministry that is outside of the primary ministry in which you serve. You need other ways of expressing your call.” I have always participated in ministry work in my free time, and as I transitioned into full-time ministry, his words helped me maintain balance and not allow ministry to consume my life.
The second piece of advice came from another former campus minister friend, who cautioned me not to put all of my trust and commitment in an organization, but rather to have confidence in my calling. Denominations, organizations, and churches can all disappoint us. They were all created by humans. Financial situations shift, power changes hands, and ministry focus and commitment fluctuates. As a result, people’s lives are affected, and sometimes, they lose their positions. My friend told me to be faithful wherever I was serving, but above all, to be faithful to what God had called me to do and be. I have been blessed for as I have sought to live out my calling God has given me opportunities for growth and development and has been faithful in providing what I need.